Improvement in freight-cars



1. Blames.

F reight Car. No. 24,189; "Patente d Ma '31, 1859.

NPEYERSL PHDTO-LITHOGRAFNER, WASHINGTON, D C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH D. BILLINGS, OF RUTLAND, VERMONT.

IMPROVEMENT IN FREIGHT-CARS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 24,189, dated May 31, 1859.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, J OSEPH D. BILLINGS, of Rutland, Rutland county, in the State of Vermont, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Freight-Oars; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

Figure 1 represents a side elevation of the car-body, showing the manner of construction thereof. Fig. 2 is a modification of the same, exhibiting a closed car and its construction. Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section of Figs. 1 and 2. Figs. 4 and 5 show the metal shoe in two views. Fig. 6 is the metal shoe of another form when adapted to the closed car of Fig. 2. r

In the present mode of constructing freightcars the vertical ties are mortised into the sills, or when the car is closed in the planks are usually tongue-and-grooved into the sills. This mode of construction is exceedingly oojectionable on account of the decaying away of the timber at these joints, produced by their absorption and retention of water, and in a short time the entire timber above these joints will be perfectly solid, while the lower ends thus joined to the sleepers will become weak and rotten, thus rendering the whole useless. I effectually remedy this difficulty and construct the cars so that the upright timbers or studswill not come in contact withthe sleepers, nor can water possibly getinto the joints where the parts are united. Besides, by my arrangement the timbers are securely and rigidly brought together, and the whole car when finished is substantial and less liable to rack than those in common use, while at the same time the cost will not exceed those of the present mode of construction. For this purpose I employ a metal shoe similar to the one exhibited by Figs. 4: and 5,'having projecting pins a a. on its under surface. This shoe is made so as to fit the bottom of the studs 12 by being mortised into the same, the portions 0 c c c fitting into the mortises. The studs 1) are thus placed upon the sleepers, the pins 0. a being placed in holes which are previously bored into the sills d d. When this is done, the studs are secured in their proper position by bolts e e, which pass through the sills d cl and through the upper bearers f and are provided with screws and nuts 9 g.

I have thus described the manner of constructing the open car; but the same principle can be applied to a car which is closed in,and with the same efliciency, by making a continuous shoe h, as shown by Fig. 2, and bolting or otherwise securing it to the sills. This shoe is made, as more clearly shown by Fig. 6, with a groove 2', into which the lower ends of the planks j rest, the guard-plate 7:; being let into the side of the plank, so as to be flush with its surface. This guard-plate projects down partly over the side of the sills. The upper ends of the planks fit into a groove in the upper beamsf. In closing in a car of this construction the shoes are first secured to the sills, andwhen the frame is put totirely excluded and decay rendered less liable to affect the timber. I might here incidentally remark that by my plan just explained the cars will upon an average last five or six years longer than those now in common use, which in an economical point of view is a very great desideratu m.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

Placing a metal shoe, single or continuous, between the studs or. sheathing-boards and sills of railroad-cars for excluding the water and thereby preventing the rapid decay of the same, substantially as hereinabove set forth.

JOSEPH D. BILLINGS;

Witnesses:

H. G. CLARK, B. BILLINGS, Jr. 

